


going the distance

by unbrokengibberish



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Anal Sex, High School AU, LetIanBottom, M/M, Oral Sex, Rimming, boyfriends who are also best friends, minor character death (that will make you happy)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:26:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3813883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbrokengibberish/pseuds/unbrokengibberish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey glanced around the hall, making sure it was empty. It was, since they had just got out of practice and always lingered longer than most people. He stepped closer to Ian and moved his hand to rest against Ian’s cheek, stroking his thumb back and forth.</p>
<p>“Everything’s gonna be fine. You gotta stop worrying,” Mickey said gently, smiling up at Ian. He could still see the worry behind Ian’s eyes, but he saw him visibly relax at the touch. </p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>the high school sweetheart graduation au that peyton kind of asked for</p>
            </blockquote>





	going the distance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kissteethstainred](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissteethstainred/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, [PEYTON](http://montygreening.tumblr.com)!! I hope this lives up to the expectation and I hope you have a wonderful day!!

The locker rattled as Ian threw his gangly body against it, sighing dramatically as he adjusted the straps on his backpack.

Mickey snorted, because Ian Gallagher was an overdramatic fuck, but Mickey still loved him for some reason.

“The fuck is it now?” Mickey asked, glancing at Ian as he sorted his books to take home for the day. It was one month before graduation and he honestly didn’t understand why the fuck the teachers were still assigning them this much homework.

“Nothing,” Ian grunted, looking down at the floor and playing with his straps. He’d been getting more fidgety over the last few months and Mickey had a suspicion that it had to do with the omnipresence of June looming over them.

Mickey closed his locker and kicked at Ian’s shoe with his own foot. “We gotta get to work,” he said, voice gentler than it had been a moment ago.

Ian glanced up at him and Mickey could see the anxiety blooming there. He knew Ian was worried about being alone next year. Even though Ian had Mandy to keep him company until he could join Mickey at the University of Chicago, Mickey and Ian hadn’t been separated for more than a few days since the day Ian had declared that Mickey was his best friend at the age of eight.

Mickey glanced around the hall, making sure it was empty. It was, since they had just got out of practice and always lingered longer than most people. He stepped closer to Ian and moved his hand to rest against Ian’s cheek, stroking his thumb back and forth.

“Everything’s gonna be fine. You gotta stop worrying,” Mickey said gently, smiling up at Ian. He could still see the worry behind Ian’s eyes, but he saw him visibly relax at the touch.

“Let’s go,” Ian said, pushing himself off of the lockers and walking away from Mickey. He stopped at the end of the hall, turning to glance over his shoulder at Mickey, who was watching Ian walk away. “You coming, Milkovich,” Ian said, a teasing lilt to his voice as he waited for Mickey to join him. When Mickey walked up beside him, Ian quickly squeezed the older boy’s hand, before they walked out of the school and headed for the Kash and Grab.

* * *

Ian sat behind the cash register, pretending like he was focusing on his Algebra II homework as he not so subtly shot glances at Mickey, who was idly flipping through a magazine across the counter from Ian.

“Stop staring at me and do your homework,” Mickey grunted, sounding not at all annoyed. He looked up at Ian, a teasing glint in his crystal blue eyes, and Ian couldn’t help but smile.

He didn’t know what he was going to do without Mickey for a year. And okay maybe he was being dramatic because UIC wasn’t that far away and Mickey would be home for holidays and Ian could go visit him and shit, but it wouldn’t be the same.

He didn’t know how to function without Mickey. They had been practically attached at the hip since little league. They had been best friends long before they ever became boyfriends and Ian didn’t understand how he was supposed to just say goodbye to his best friend and his boyfriend in a month.

Mickey was still staring at him when Ian leaned over the counter and placed a soft, sweet kiss against Mickey’s lips. He saw a blush rise up Mickey’s neck and he marveled at what he could still do to Mickey after all these years.

“What was that for?” Mickey asked, sounding a little breathless from just the simple kiss. Ian would be lying if he said that voice didn’t go straight to his dick.

“Just wanted to,” Ian smirked, turning back to his homework. He could feel Mickey watching him. “Don’t you have homework too?”

“The fuck they gonna do, hold me back? I already got the paperwork, man,” Mickey said, flipping a page of the US Weekly he was currently skimming.

“I’m pretty sure they can flunk you if you don’t do any of your work, Mick,” Ian muttered.

“Then I’d be stuck with you for another year at that dump and you’d be happy.”

“Fuck you,” Ian bit out a little rougher than he meant to. Mickey looked up at him a little shocked. “You think that’s what I want. You think I’m not happier than I’ve ever been that you actually proved everyone wrong and got into college. You think I’m mad at you for getting a full ride and a ticket out of here. Fuck you, Mickey.” Ian threw his pencil down and hastily stomped into the freezer. He needed to cool down.

A few minutes later, Mickey wandered back into the freezer, where Ian was leaning against some boxes breathing deeply.

“You gonna tell me what’s really wrong?” Mickey asked, stopping to stand directly in front of Ian, the tips of their shoes brushing against each other.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Ian replied simply. He knew that Mickey already knew that, but he hadn’t actually said it out loud.

Mickey pushed at Ian’s feet with his own until Ian spread his legs a little and Mickey stepped between them. He then brought his hands up to rest on Ian’s hips, stroking back and forth with his thumbs. Ian settled his own hands against Mickey’s hips.

“You’re kind of dumb, you know that?” Mickey said, and Ian could hear the smile in his voice, but Ian was serious right now. He looked up at Mickey shooting him a look that he hoped said that he wasn’t in a joking mood. “Ian, it’s not like you’re going to lose me. We have months until I have to leave and even then you’re gonna see me all the time. You’ll probably get sick of seeing me you’ll see me so often.”

Ian scoffed at that, because he could never get tired of seeing Mickey. “What if you meet someone else?” Ian asked, his voice impossibly quiet as he put the thing that scared him most into words.

Mickey’s grip on his hips tightened. “Is that what you’re worried about?” Mickey asked. He sounded disbelieving. “Ian, there is no one else. For me, you are everything,” Mickey whispered before he rocked up to crash his lips against Ian’s.

Ian’s lips parted at the familiar feeling of Mickey’s tongue dancing across them and into his mouth. He brought his hands up, one finding purchase on the back of Mickey’s neck and the other digging into his boyfriend’s hair, pulling him closer. He shoved his tongue into Mickey’s mouth, rough and hard and wet, and reveled in the way that they fit so perfectly together.

Mickey’s hands on his hips pulled him closer as they started to grind against each other. Mickey pulled away from Ian’s mouth, biting and sucking at Ian’s jaw and neck as his hand worked down between them to undo their pants.

“Shit,” Ian breathed out as Mickey’s hand brushed over his painfully hard erection. “You locked the door, right?” Ian panted as his head dropped to Mickey’s shoulder when Mickey yanked down Ian’s boxers enough to free him.

“The fuck do you think?” Mickey asked, wrapping his hand around Ian and stroking him in just the right way.

“Fuck,” Ian hissed against Mickey’s shoulder, before turning his head to bite his boyfriend’s neck. He shoved his own hand down the front of Mickey’s pants, fisting his hand around Mickey’s cock and working him fast and hard and just how Mickey liked it.

“Fuck, Ian,” Mickey panted as he reached up to recapture Ian’s mouth with his own. They worked each other, arms crossed over one another, until they were simply panting into each other’s mouths.

Ian brushed his thumb over the slit of Mickey’s cock, dragging it slow and hard, and Mickey bit Ian’s bottom lip before pulling it into his mouth to suck. He tightened his grip around Mickey’s cock, and Mickey was coming into this hand with a guttural “Ian” escaping his lips.

Mickey worked Ian harder after that and it only took a few more seconds until Ian was falling over the edge, burying his face in his boyfriend’s neck and moaning into it as he came.

They stood there a minute longer, faces buried in each other’s neck, before Mickey pulled away to look up into Ian’s eyes.

“I love you,” Mickey whispered.

Ian rested his forehead against Mickey’s before replying, “You’re kind of okay yourself.” Mickey shoved him lightly, before laughing and crashing his mouth back to Ian’s.

“We should probably close up,” Mickey said as they pulled apart. They grabbed some wipes from their stash and cleaned themselves up, before heading out of the freezer and back into the store to close up for the night and head home.

* * *

 

On Monday at school, Ian didn’t feel any better. He hated every hour that passed by, every minute that ended that meant Mickey was one step closer to leaving Ian here alone. And it wasn’t even like they were out together. They weren’t stupid. They didn’t announce to the world that they were dating or hold hands in the hallway (even though Ian wanted nothing more than to link his hand through Mickey’s smaller one as they walked side by side). But he was losing more than his boyfriend, he was losing his best friend.

He knew he was being over dramatic, because as Mickey had reminded him last week and continued to remind him through the weekend, he wasn’t losing Mickey. It wasn’t even like Mickey was Ian’s only friend. He had the guys from baseball and he had Mandy, who honestly was the female version of Mickey if Ian had ever seen one. But those were different. Those people were just Ian’s friends. Mickey was Ian’s fucking soulmate.

Even before they had started dating, Ian and Mickey had been attached at the hip. After the first time that Ian invited Mickey over to his house one afternoon after little league practice, Mickey had practically lived there. They did everything together. Ian couldn’t even remember a day when he hadn’t seen Mickey. It was like Mickey had showed up one day and almost ten years later he was still there. Until now, when he would be moving across the city to a place where Ian wouldn’t be able to see him everyday.

He felt the worry and the pain and the heartache seeping into his bones, and try as he might he couldn’t keep the facade up that everything was okay. He didn’t think that anyone noticed. Except Mickey of course.

“You taking your meds, man?” Mickey asked as he walked with Ian to the cafeteria. Ian could hear the worry in his voice and of course that’s what Mickey would assume.

“Yeah, man,” Ian assured him, throwing a tight lipped smile at Mickey as he led the way to their table in the back. They brought lunch from home. Mickey had started contributing to the Gallagher income when he was thirteen, considering he and Mandy practically lived with the Gallaghers he had said it was no big deal, so they split the food.

“Are you still worrying about next year?” Mickey asked, sitting opposite Ian, kicking at Ian’s feet under the table as he tried to smile at him. Ian didn’t feel much like smiling.

“I can’t just not think about it, Mick. I mean we’ve been going to school together since...well, since I started school,” Ian finished, realizing that he’d been going to school with Mickey almost his entire life. He felt a new wave of panic settle over him at the realization.

Mickey seemed to notice the new turmoil wracking through Ian, because he settled his foot against Ian’s shin under the table, making sure that no one saw, before he lightly rubbed it up and down in a comforting motion.

“Hey, you gotta stop thinking about this, Ian,” Mickey said. Ian noted that he sounded worried. “It’s gonna be fine. And you’ll still have Mandy. It’s not like you’re going to be completely alone.”

“Did someone say my name?” Mandy asked, plopping down next to Ian on the bench.

“Mind your own business, bitch,” Mickey said in lieu of a greeting, and Mandy kicked his shin. “Ow!”

“What’s going on?” Mandy asked, looking between the two of them.

“Nothing,” Ian grumbled.

Before Mandy could ask again, Lip and Karen came to join them at their table. Karen sat next to Mickey and Lip sat next to Karen. Karen smiled at Mandy, and Ian saw her leg move under the table and assumed she was greeting Mandy in a similar way to how Mickey was trying to comfort him. They had been dating for a few months, but they weren’t out to the school either. Ian was pretty sure most people just assumed that Lip was hopping between the two of them, but the situation seemed to work well enough.

“What are you guys talking about?” Lip asked, ever the nosey one.

“Mickey was saying something about me and now he won’t tell me,” Mandy faux pouted. Karen elbowed Mickey in the side--hard from what Ian could tell by Mickey’s flinch.

“Jesus Christ, I don’t need you two ganging up on me,” Mickey groaned, rubbing at his side. His eyes flitted back to Ian’s for a moment, before he looked down and started eating his lunch.

“Ian,” Mandy whined in his ear.

“Oh my God! I don’t want to talk about it,” Ian said, grabbing his backpack and standing up. “I’ll see you guys later,” he said, before he turned to leave the cafeteria, leaving four stunned people in his wake.

* * *

 

After Ian left, Mandy, Karen, and Lip turned to face Mickey.

“What?” Mickey asked, taking a large bite out of his sandwich.

“The fuck was that?” Lip asked, waving a hand in the direction that Ian went.

Mickey took his time chewing, not wanting to talk about this any more than Ian did if he was being honest with himself.

“He’s starting to freak out about graduation,” Mickey said simply, hoping that they would leave it at that.

They all looked away from Mickey at that and he was glad. Karen and Lip were graduating with him, so he knew that Mandy felt the same way that Ian did, but he doubted that Karen or Lip felt the same way he did.

Karen and Mandy had only been going out for a few months. They didn’t understand. Ian and Mickey had been dating since they were like thirteen. And before that, they had been best friends since Mickey was nine. Ian worried about staying here alone, but Mickey worried about leaving here alone.

He knew it was going to happen eventually. When Mr. Heeley had called him into the counseling office at the beginning of this school year and informed Mickey that he was on track to graduate (something that had surprised them both), Mickey had been happy for all of two seconds before he realized that he would have to leave Ian behind.

He felt like a hole in his heart was growing deeper and wider every day. The closer they got to graduation, the more Mickey started to panic. But he had to keep a brave face for Ian. His Ian who had been through so much in the last year. He didn’t need anything else to worry him, so Mickey pretended that he thought everything was going to be fine. But he didn’t. Ian worried about Mickey meeting some new guy at college, and Mickey worried that as soon as he was out of Ian’s life, Ian would realize that he could do so much better than the South Side trash that Mickey would always be. He wanted Ian to do better, but he didn’t want to let him go.

“Maybe I should talk to him,” Lip pondered. Mickey could hear in his voice that he thought it could be more. Ian had only been regulated on his medications for a little over six months and they were all kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“It’s not like that, man,” Mickey said, looking over Karen at Lip. “He’s just worried. He told me he’s taking his meds.”

“You believe him? You know that when shit gets bad, so does he.”

“I believe him.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, Lip,” Karen said. “He’s a strong kid, but not being able to see the goddamn love of your life everyday after years of it being like that is probably traumatic.”

Mickey felt a blush working its way up his neck at Karen’s words, but they weren’t untrue.

“I should go,” Mickey said, starting to stand up before Mandy stopped him.

“No, I’ll go,” she said, nodding as Mickey looked at her funny. “I’m the only one who’s going to be left behind with him. I know how he feels.” She gave them all a small smile and then she left. Lip swung around so he was sitting on the other side of the table, and the three of them started talking about after grad stuff. Mickey watched Mandy walk away until she disappeared out into the hallway.

* * *

 

Ian sat against his locker in the hallway. Most everyone was at lunch, so the hall was pretty empty. He heard clicking of boots against the linoleum and hoped whoever it was would just go away.

When the shoes stopped directly in front of him, he looked up to see Mandy staring down at him.

“Hey, you,” she said, a quiet voice replacing her usual bravado.

“Hey,” Ian said, tiredly. “I’m sorry about that.”

She sat down next to him, crossing her legs so that her knee rested lightly on top of his.

“It’s okay,” Mandy said, leaning into him. “I’m scared too, you know?”

“Mandy…”

“No, I know it’s different. I know that you’ve barely spent a day apart from Mickey since you were eight years old, but I’m losing my brother too,” Mandy said into Ian’s shoulder. “And Karen and Lip. It’s going to be weird, but the only way it’s going to be okay is if we stick together.”

“You’re right,” Ian mumbled against the crown of Mandy’s head. “I’m sorry. I just love him so much, Mands.”

“I know, Ian. But he’s just gonna be across town. You’ll probably see him so much, you’ll end up getting sick of him.”

Ian snorted. “Jesus, with you around it’ll be like he never even left.”

Mandy grinned up at him before the bell rang. “Come on, loser. Let’s get to class.” She helped pull him up and they walked to class holding hands. At least if Mickey wasn’t going to be here everyday, he’d still always have Mandy.

* * *

 

Ian was lying on his bed, headphones in, staring at the ceiling. He’d come home alone after school today, because Mickey had some meeting about graduation and then he had to go to the Milkovich house for something with his dad.

Carl was at lacrosse practice. Debbie was volunteering at a nursing home with an after school program. Fiona had taken Liam to her new job, which had a daycare center, and Lip was off with Karen and Mandy. Ian relished these times he had the house to himself. It amazed him how quiet the Gallagher house could be.

The quiet was shattered as the back door slammed and he heard someone rushing up the stairs. He froze for a moment, counting the weapons he had close enough at hand, hoping that it wasn’t Frank.

Mickey burst into his room, panting and flushed. He closed the door behind him and locked it, before turning back around to face Ian.

“Mick…” Ian started, but trailed off as Mickey whipped his shirt over his head. Stomping over to the bed, he pushed Ian back down and straddled him.

Mickey didn’t give Ian a chance to say anything else, before he was pressing his mouth hard against Ian’s and licking his way in. He started rutting against Ian and the friction of their cocks rubbing against each other through their pants made Ian wild. He gripped at Mickey’s hip with one hand as the other raked down his back, trying to pull him closer. They broke apart and Mickey started biting and sucking at Ian’s jaw and neck.

“Fuck, Mick,” Ian breathed out as Mickey sucked particularly hard at his collarbone, before sitting up and pushing at Ian’s shirt.

Ian sat up just enough so that Mickey could pull the shirt over his head and then Mickey was pushing him back down and licking down Ian’s chest, lapping at his nipples, before continuing down further.

When he reached Ian’s pants, he undid the belt, dropping it unceremoniously on the floor, before shoving Ian’s jeans and boxers down in one motion. He only got them as far as Ian’s knees before he was leaning back in to swallow Ian’s cock.

“Shit,” Ian hissed, fisting his hands in Mickey’s hair as Mickey worked his way up and down Ian’s cock, swirling his tongue over the head and licking the underside. Ian pulled at Mickey’s hair, warning him that he was close. “Stop, you gotta stop or I’m going to come.”

Mickey pulled away with one last swirl of his tongue and kissed his way back up Ian’s body. Ian pulled him close and licked his way back into Mickey’s mouth. He kicked his jeans off the rest of the way and then started pushing at Mickey’s. Mickey sat up, rolling off Ian a little to push his jeans off the rest of the way, kicking them into the pile on the floor, before he moved to straddle Ian again.

“Fuck, Mickey. You feel so good,” Ian breathed out, unable to stop himself. He knew that Mickey didn’t really like to talk during sex but sometimes Ian couldn’t control it. “What do you want?”

“I want to ride you,” Mickey said, already reaching out for the lube in Ian’s nightstand. He grabbed a condom and threw it on Ian’s chest, before he slicked up his own fingers and working himself open.

“Fuck,” Ian breathed as he watched Mickey fuck himself with his own fingers. Mickey was so goddamn hot sometimes it literally took Ian’s breath away. He grabbed Mickey’s hips, just so that he could touch him.

When Mickey was satisfied that he was opened up enough, already sweating and panting, he took the condom off Ian’s chest, rolled it onto Ian’s length, slicked him up, and sank down.

“Fuck,” they both hissed in unison at the sensation. Mickey paused to adjust for a moment, before he started moving at a slow pace up and down the length of Ian’s cock. Ian’s grip on Mickey’s hips tightened as he started thrusting up into Mickey as Mickey sank down. They created a fast, hard rhythm that had them both grunting and moaning into the too warm room.

Ian pulled Mickey down to kiss him hard, and as he licked and sucked at Mickey’s lips he worked his hand between them and stroked Mickey just as hard as he fucked him.

Mickey was a mess in a matter of minutes, biting down hard on Ian’s bottom lip as he came. Ian tasted blood, but ignored it, flipping Mickey onto his back and fucking into him a few more times, before he collapsed on top of Mickey, his orgasm ripping a moan out of his throat. He buried his head in Mickey’s sweaty neck and tried to regain some kind of breathing pattern.

After a few minutes, he pulled out, taking off the condom and tying it, before throwing it on the ground to be dealt with later. He propped himself up on a shaky elbow and looked down at Mickey as he traced patterns through the sweat on Mickey’s chest.

“So what happened?”

Ian looked at Mickey’s face as he tried to avoid his gaze.

“Nothing,” Mickey mumbled, trying to turn away from Ian, but Ian held him down with an arm over his chest.

“Mick…”

“Fucking Terry is getting out of the slammer like a week before graduation,” Mickey whispered, harshly but Ian could hear the fear in his voice.

“Fuck, I thought he got twenty years last time,” Ian said. He felt his body stiffen at the mention of Mickey’s asshole of a father.

“Good behavior or some bullshit. Probably bribed one of the higher ups,” Mickey bit out. His voice was laced with a bitter hatred that Ian understood better than anyone. “Fuck.”

Mickey turned and pushed Ian off his elbow, burying his face in Ian’s neck as Ian’s arms wrapped around Mickey to hold him close.

“Hey, it’ll be okay. You don’t have to go back there. You can stay here,” Ian murmured, trying to soothe his distraught boyfriend.

“You don’t think he’s fucking heard rumors.”

“So what? Your brothers don’t care and you practically live here anyway. He’d have to get through all of us to get to you,” Ian said, placing his lips on the top of Mickey’s head and just resting them there.

“You’re all stupid then.”

“No, we just love you,” Ian reminded Mickey as he pressed kisses more fully along the top of Mickey’s head. “He’ll probably be right back in once he gets out anyway, right?”

Mickey sniffed a little, laughing lightly at the joke that neither of them thought was funny. “You’re probably right.”

“I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. I promise,” Ian said, bringing Mickey’s face up to meet his so he could kiss him fully on the mouth.

* * *

 

May melted into June and graduation crept closer. Ian had been trying to act like he was fine. He didn’t want to be separated from Mickey, but he was starting to realize that it wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. It was just one year and then he and Mickey would be at the same school again.

He stumbled down the stairs one morning for breakfast. Mickey surprisingly wasn’t there and Ian wondered if he was trying to get the house ready for Terry’s return. Mickey had been growing more distant from Ian over the last couple of weeks and Ian knew it was because Terry was getting out of jail.

The last time Terry had been out of prison he’d almost caught them together and Ian knew that Mickey was worried that would happen again, or worse. But Ian rationalized (or tried to rationalize) to Mickey that Terry didn’t know either of them were gay. Terry assumed that Ian was Mandy’s boyfriend, because they had always played it off that way around other people. But Mickey wouldn’t stop worrying.

“Morning, Sweetface,” Fiona greeted him from behind the counter where she sat with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. “Where’s your other half?”

“Home,” Ian mumbled, pouring his own half a cup. “Terry gets out of prison next week.”

“Fuck,” Fiona said, eyes snapping up to meet his. He nodded and leaned against the counter. “Is Mickey alright?” Fiona knew the horrors of Terry Milkovich, part of the reason she had been letting the youngest Milkovich siblings crash here for the last ten years.

“I don’t know. He won’t really talk to me about it. I think he’s scared.”

“Maybe it’s just graduation nerves,” Fiona offered.

“Mickey doesn’t seem to care at all about graduating,” Ian grumbled. He knew he was acting like a five year old, but Mickey seemed like he couldn’t wait to get out of school and leave Ian behind.

Fiona stood up from the barstool and made her way around to Ian. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure he’s freaking out, kiddo. He doesn’t want to leave you either. You should talk to him.” With that she pressed a quick kiss to his shoulder, ruffled his hair in the back a little, and went up the stairs.

Ian sighed and grabbed his phone from the counter, dialing Mickey’s number, and pressing the phone to his ear.

“You can’t go one morning without hearing my voice, huh?” Mickey answered instead of greeting him.

“Fuck you,” Ian laughed into the phone. Hearing Mickey’s voice automatically made him feel ten times better. “How are you?”

“Slept like shit. I don’t know what I’m gonna do without your gangly ass in my bed next year.”

Ian knew he was joking but the joke hit too close to his heart. He had slept horribly too and didn’t know what he was going to do without Mickey being there every night.

“I can probably fix that a few nights,” Ian suggested, voice becoming huskier as he tried to play along.

“Good thing I got a single, huh?”

Ian smiled and looked over at the clock. “Shit, I have to get ready. I’ll see you at morning practice?”

Mickey said bye and Ian hung up the phone, rushing back up the stairs to get dressed.

* * *

 

Ian was pretty sure the thing he was going to miss most about Mickey at school was Mickey in his damn baseball pants. They hugged his ass so well that Ian had to forcibly remind himself to pay attention to the coach and not just watch Mickey.

Technically the season was over, but Coach had decided to do some send off practices for the graduating seniors, so they’d been having scrimmages against each other all week. It was the seniors versus the underclassmen.

When the underclassmen let the seniors win, Coach called quits and everyone headed off to the showers.

Ian was about to follow the rest of his team, when Mickey caught his arm and held him back. They waited until everyone else was gone and then Mickey got up on his toes to kiss Ian.

“We’re gonna be late for class,” Ian murmured against Mickey’s lips.

“Mmm, don’t care.” 

“Someone’s going to see us,” Ian tried to say as Mickey pulled him under the dugout.

“Not if we hide.”

“Mickey,” Ian whined a little as Mickey pushed him onto the bench and straddled him. “Shit, we can’t. I can’t miss class.” He rested his hands on Mickey’s hips and Mickey pulled away from where he was sucking on Ian’s neck to look at him. He rested his hands against Ian’s shoulders.

“Fuck, you’re right,” Mickey said, trying to get up and off of Ian, but Ian held him where he was.

“What’s up with you?”

“Nothing,” Mickey said, squirming a little and not meeting Ian’s eyes.

“Mick…”

“It’s nothing, Ian. I’m fine. I just realized this will be the last time I get to see you in your uniform,” Mickey mumbled, still looking down.

“Fuck that,” Ian said and Mickey eyes snapped up. “If you think I’m not dragging you to like every game next year, you’re seriously out of your mind.” Ian smiled as he pulled Mickey’s head down a little to rest his forehead against the other boy’s.

“I’m scared,” Mickey whispered, and Ian tightened his grip on both Mickey’s neck and hip.

“Hey,” Ian said, trying to soothe Mickey. “It’s gonna be okay. You’re dad isn’t gonna get you, okay? I promised you that.”

Mickey shook his head a little where it rested against Ian’s.

“No, I’m scared about graduating,” Mickey murmured.

“What?” Ian asked, pulling back to look into Mickey’s eyes. They were glassy and blue and perfect and Ian could stare into those eyes for the rest of his life, but they also worried him. The worry behind those eyes was unnerving to him, because Mickey was always the one who knew what shit to do.

“I just, I never thought I was even going to make it through high school and now I’m just supposed to move off and live on my own with other kids who are probably going to be fucking rich and annoying,” Mickey said, eyes flickering down again. “And I don’t want to leave you.”

“Mickey, you’re not leaving me,” Ian said, and Mickey looked up at him, eyebrows unamused. “No, I know what I said and fuck I’m scared too, but Mickey you are going to do amazing things. You’re the first Milkovich to graduate high school. You’re going to college. You’re getting out and I’m so fucking proud of you.”

He saw Mickey swallow as a tear escaped his eye. Ian brought up his hand to wipe the tear away and then Mickey was burying his face in Ian’s neck and holding onto Ian so tight. Ian just gripped him back as tightly as he could.

After a few minutes, Mickey pulled away and closed his lips over Ian’s in a chaste kiss.

“I love you so much,” Mickey whispered against Ian’s lips.

“I love you,” Ian replied.

Mickey got off of Ian and they walked back to the locker room, purposely knocking hands together as they made their way there. They were going to be fine. The next few months were going to be hard, but Ian knew they were going to be okay. If there was anything he believed in, it was that he and Mickey were going to go the fucking distance.

* * *

 

The day before graduation quickly approached. School was officially out so the Gallagher house was full getting everything ready for the big day.

Mickey and Mandy were at the Milkovich house, because Terry was supposed to be getting back today. He originally was supposed to be back last week, but something got mixed up at the prison and he had to stay. Ian really hated that Terry fucking Milkovich was going to be ruining Mickey’s day, but at least with Mickey out of the house, the rest of the Gallaghers, excluding Lip, had more time to get everything ready for the graduation party they planned on hosting.

Ian was hanging the banner in the living room, right over the doorway to the kitchen, when he heard the front door open and close. He assumed it was just Debbie or Carl coming back from one of their jobs to get ready for the party, but when no one ran by him into the kitchen, Ian turned his head.

Standing by the doorway was Mickey, looking paler than normal. Ian jumped off the chair he was standing on, forgetting about the poster, and practically lunged across the room toward Mickey.

“What’s wrong?” Ian asked, feeling his own eyes widen with worry.

Mickey stared at a spot on Ian’s collarbone, seeming to not be able to get his voice out. Ian watched as Mickey’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. He stepped closer and framed Mickey’s face with his hands.

“Mick?”

“Terry,” Mickey started, but his voice seemed to catch in his throat.

“What the fuck did he do this time?” Ian asked, feeling his blood start to boil with a special anger that was reserved for the Milkovich patriarch.

“He’s dead,” Mickey breathed out and Ian froze.

“What?”

Mickey’s eyes snapped up to meet Ian’s. They were wide and scared, but Ian could see a relief in them that he didn’t think he’d ever seen before. “He got stabbed last night. Apparently he pissed off the wrong person.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. I’m not like sad I don’t think. I mean I hated the man, but he was still my father.”

Ian knew exactly what Mickey meant. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d wished for Frank to just show him the little bit of affection he craved.

“It’s okay to be sad, Mick. I mean he was the worst person I’ve ever known, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel sad that he’s dead,” Ian soothed, stroking his thumbs along Mickey’s cheekbones.

Mickey shook his head lightly. “But I’m not sad. I just, I don’t know, I think I’m in shock of something. Jesus.”

“You want me to do anything?”

“Can we just sit for a few minutes?” Mickey asked, eyes pleading a little, but pretending he was fine.

“Of course, come on,” Ian pulled Mickey to the couch. They sat down and Ian pulled him in close to his side, wrapping his arm around Mickey’s shoulder and holding tight. Ian turned the tv on and they both just sat there in silence.

“Your banner is crooked,” Mickey mumbled about half an hour later.

“Fuck you,” Ian said as he squeezed Mickey tighter, grabbing Mickey’s hand with his own, and holding on as tight as possible. He only squeezed tighter when he felt a stray tear land on his hand.

* * *

 

“What’s with the melancholy mixer?” Lip asked as he walked through the door a few hours later.

“Why the fuck can’t you just talk like a normal ass person?” Mickey bit at him.

“Where’s the fun in that? But seriously why are you two so mopey. We graduate tomorrow, dude.”

“Terry’s dead.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck, are you okay?” Lip asked, earnestly. “Is Mandy okay?”

Ian felt automatically like the worst friend ever. He hadn’t even thought to ask about Mandy.

“She’s fine. She’s with Karen,” Mickey answered, settling back into Ian’s side.

“Fucking Terry, man. Had to go and up stage our fucking graduation by dying.”

“Yeah, seems about right,” Mickey said, smirking a little.

“But isn’t that just the best fuck you.”

“What?”

“Like the best way to show Terry once and for all that you don’t need him and that you’re better than him. You’re fucking graduating, man. That’s awesome and something he never would have expected from you. Fuck him.”

Mickey and Ian both smiled at Lip. Ian mouthed a ‘thank you’ in Lip’s direction as he squeezed Mickey tighter and Lip nodded at him.

“I think this calls for a Gallagher style funeral service,” Lip announced as he stood up to grab a bottle of vodka from the kitchen. “We should call Karen and Mandy and get them over here. It can be like a final farewell to Terry Milkovich slash we fucking made it through high school party.”

And they did just that.

They got Karen and Mandy over to the Gallaghers. Even Kev and Vee showed up with Ethel. Fiona brought home some girl from work who stayed to party with them all.

Mickey, Lip, and Karen were graduating tomorrow and nothing could keep them down. Ian smiled at Mickey from across the room as he told Kev about the classes he would be taking in the fall, and Ian realized that even if he was sad that Mickey was leaving, he was more proud of him than anything. Mickey Milkovich had beaten every odd thrown his way and was coming out the other side for the better. Ian loved him so fucking much.

* * *

 

When they woke up the next morning, Ian’s arms were wrapped tightly around Mickey’s waist and his head was buried in the back of Mickey’s neck. He nuzzled the back of Mickey’s neck with his forehead, before realizing that Mickey was already awake.

“Morning,” he mumbled into the back of Mickey’s neck and he felt Mickey tense up a little bit, before he relaxed and turned over in Ian’s arms so they were facing each other. “How are you doing?”

Mickey smiled tightly at Ian, but Ian couldn’t tell if it was because he was nervous about graduation or if was feeling something about Terry’s death. Ian was having a hard time wrapping his head around that fact still, but he could assume that Mickey didn’t exactly want to talk about it today. They had all summer to talk. Today was about Mickey.  

“We should get downstairs,” Ian said, leaning his forehead against Mickey’s, ignoring the morning breath mixed between them. “Fiona has like 800 fucking activities planned for the day.” Ian smirked as Mickey groaned and they both dragged themselves out of bed, Mickey lingering closely behind Ian the whole way downstairs.

“Good morning, graduate!” Fiona greeted cheerfully from behind the stove, where she was making banana pancakes and bacon. Lip was already sitting at the table drinking coffee, looking like he’d gone a few rounds in the ringer.

“Fuck, Fi, can you keep it down?” Lip groaned, nursing his coffee like a life force.

“Take an aspirin and get over it. Today will not be ruined by hangovers, amateurs,” Fiona scoffed, flipping the pancakes, as Ian walked around her to pour two cups of coffee. “How are you doing?” Fiona asked Mickey as he and Ian sat at the kitchen table.

“Fine,” Mickey muttered. He didn’t sound like he was lying exactly just like he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“It’s okay to be sad, Mickey,” Fiona insisted as she finished the pancakes and dumped a full plate of them on the table, before turning around to get the bacon.

“I’m not sad,” Mickey said, stabbing at a pancake with his fork. He sighed as all the Gallaghers looked at him. “I’m not. I’m in shock a little, but I’m not sad. Terry wasn’t exactly father of the fucking year and it’s not exactly like he raised me,” he said, giving Fiona a pointed look. Ian saw Fiona’s eyes flood with water, which she quickly tried to blink back. Mickey blushed and looked down at his plate.

“So,” Ian started trying to alleviate some of the tension in the room. “What’s the plan for the day?”

“Well, graduation is at noon and then we’re going to come back here. Sheila’s getting a bunch of food ready to bring over later, so it should be really good.” Fiona smiled as she sat down at the table.

Carl, Debbie, and Liam came wandering down the stairs, taking seats at the table. Liam climbed up on Mickey’s lap, and no one said anything as Mickey helped Liam start to eat his pancakes.

“Sounds good,” Lip mumbled, as he drank more coffee.

“Where’s Mandy?” Mickey asked, looking up from Liam on his lap.

“She and Karen went back to Karen’s early this morning,” Fiona said, taking a bite of her food. “Said they’d come back before we got to head over to the school.”

They all finished their breakfast in an unusually peaceful silence. Ian noted that Mickey looked more relaxed than he had in weeks. He brought a hand up to Mickey’s head and started carding his fingers through the soft hair at the back of Mickey’s neck as they ate. Mickey gave him a small, but genuine smile.

After they were done eating, Ian helped Fiona clear up the kitchen as Carl and Debbie started cleaning the living room and setting up outside. Lip and Mickey went upstairs to get ready.

Ian was just finishing putting the leftovers away, after Fiona had gone upstairs to get ready herself, when Carl came in the back door.

“Ian,” Carl said, coming to stand by the counter. “Can I talk to you about something?” 

Ian looked over at his little brother. He felt a little concerned, considering he could count on one hand the amount of times Carl had ever wanted to talk about anything. He closed the refrigerator door and leaned against the counter opposite to Carl.

“Of course. What’s up?” 

Carl looked down at the counter top and Ian could see a blush working its way up his brother’s neck.

“Um, this is sort of random. You know what, nevermind,” Carl said, trying to turn away to run back outside.

“Carl? What’s wrong?”

Carl sighed and turned back to face Ian. “How did you know when you liked Mickey?”

Ian startled at the question, because it definitely hadn’t been what he was expecting.

“When I was like eight and we were in little league together…”

“No, I mean like when did you start to know that you liked Mickey?”

“You mean like in a gay way?” Ian asked, not sure how else to phrase it. It was hard for him to separate his friendship with Mickey from his romantic attachment to Mickey.

“Yeah, I guess?”

“Why?”

“Nevermind.” 

“Carl.”

“There’s this guy,” Carl said, and Ian literally felt his mouth drop open. He tried to school his features quickly, but he failed. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

“Wait,” Ian said, stopping Carl from heading out the back door. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t prepared for that, but I’m all here now. What about this guy?”

“I don’t know like he’s just really cool and when I’m around him sometimes, I don’t know, I guess I feel like how I feel when I’m around girls.”

Ian’s head was swimming a little, but he ignored it. He wanted Carl to know that he was there for him no matter what, that he could always come to Ian when he needed help or advice or anything. “So you still like girls?”

“Well, obviously,” Carl said as if the mere idea of not liking girls was ridiculous. “I mean I know you don’t, but like yeah. Girls are cool.”

Ian smiled at Carl. Nerd, he thought fondly to himself.

“Do you know how this guy feels?” Ian asked, because if anyone knew how to swim the waters of the homophobic neighborhood they lived in it was Ian.

“No, I mean I’m pretty sure he’s straight, but he’s just really cool,” Carl said, and Ian could hear the part of him that was already falling for this guy.

“Look, bud. I don’t know what to tell you. I wish I had all the big gay answers, or bisexual answers I guess, but I don’t. Mickey and I were lucky, I’m not going to lie to you. I want to tell you to just be the guy’s friend and try to learn how he feels, but I also know that if he doesn’t feel the same way it could hurt if you get too close to him.”

Carl looked a little beaten down.

“I’m sorry, bud.”

“No, it’s okay. I know what you’re saying. I just needed to talk about it, I think. I think I’m okay.”

Ian looked at Carl expectantly, because he knew for a fact that what he had just said could not have been very helpful. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I mean I don’t know what I’m going to do but… I’m glad someone knows,” he said, his voice getting small at the end.

Ian couldn’t help himself, he stepped around the corner and wrapped Carl in a tight hug. Carl wrapped his arms around Ian and squeezed hard, burying his face into Ian’s neck. Ian couldn’t help the smile that took over his face, knowing that his baby brother trusted him enough with this part of himself. Ian squeezed a little tighter as he thought of all the amazing things that Carl was going to do with his life and Ian knew that he would always be there to make sure Carl was on the right track, make sure he knew how important he was.

“I’m here. You know that right? I’m always here if you need to talk,” Ian reminded Carl firmly as he pulled away.

“Thanks, Ian,” Carl said, just as Mickey came down the stairs. “I should probably get ready,” Carl said as he ran upstairs, smiling.

“What was all that about?” Mickey asked, but Ian was distracted by the way that Mickey’s black dress shirt made his eyes look every shade of deep blue.

He pressed himself against Mickey and kissed him hard on the mouth.

“What was that for?” Mickey asked, after they pulled apart.

“I kind of like you,” Ian murmured, nuzzling his forehead against Mickey’s.

“Oh yeah.”

“Yeah. I’m also really fucking proud of you. And you look damn good,” Ian said, smiling as Mickey laughed lightly, trailing his hand down the front of Mickey’s shirt, fisting at his tie lightly, before pulling away. “I should go get cleaned up.”

Mickey nodded and kissed Ian once more, before Ian ran up the stairs.

* * *

 

 

The Gallaghers, Mandy, and Sheila sat near the bottom of the bleachers, because they had gotten there two hours early, and they wanted to make sure they could bombard their three graduates after the ceremony.

“Tommy Flanders,” the principal called out, as a tall young man walked to get his diploma. Some people cheered from the crowd as the man took his diploma and turned back.  

“Phillip Gallagher.”

The Gallaghers fucking roared, erupted as if Lip had just saved the world. Parents looked at them funny, but Lip just smiled, laughing, before giving them a cheesy thumbs up and moving his tassel over on his cap. He turned to walk back to where the graduates were standing. The Gallaghers sat back down and waited.

“Karen Jackson.”

Again, they all erupted as Karen walked across the stage. She looked poised and dignified and smiled at them all. Sheila wiped at her eyes as she tried to keep herself from crying and Debbie patted Sheila’s leg as they sat back down.

A few more names were called and then, “Mickey Milkovich.” Ian barely heard the end of Mickey’s name, his own cheers blocking out any other sound. Mandy and him were jumping up and down, clapping and screaming as loud as they possibly could. Ian could tell that Mickey was blushing profusely, but he looked happy. Ian didn’t think he’d ever been more in love with him.

The ceremony ended and the graduates proceeded out the doors. The Gallaghers followed after them and the rest of the families and found Lip, Mickey, and Karen huddled together.

Ian attacked Mickey with his arms, wrapping them tightly around the other boy’s body. Mickey’s arms encircled Ian’s neck, and Ian knew they were probably hugging for longer than the allotted amount of time for two dudes to hug, but fuck it.

Finally, they pulled away and Mickey’s smile was so wide. Ian knew his face mirrored Mickey’s.

“Congratulations,” Ian shouted. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispered, and Mickey shoved him lightly, but his hand lingered on Ian’s arm. His eyes were wide and blue and so fucking happy. Ian wanted to freeze the image in his mind and look at it on any day he felt bad. That’s when Ian remembered that phones were a thing and he pulled his out and snapped like five thousand pictures of all of them, setting the one of him and Mickey smiling, like the complete nerds they were, as his lock screen.

* * *

 

A few hours later, Ian and Mickey were nicely buzzed. Ian only allowed himself to have one beer, because even just that mixing with his meds didn’t work very well, but he figured it was a special occasion so he could live a little dangerously. Mickey wasn’t drinking very much either, Ian realized, but he still looked happier than Ian had ever seen him.

“I tell you how proud I am?” Ian whispered low in Mickey’s ear as he pressed himself along Mickey’s back, wrapping one arm loosely around Mickey’s waist. They were in the backyard where Lip, Karen, Mandy, Fiona, and Vee were playing some drinking game.

“Mmm, few times,” Mickey murmured, leaning his weight against Ian’s body before turning his head and kissing Ian quickly.

“You ready for your present?”

“Didn’t need to get me anything, Ian.”

“Didn’t cost me a thing. Come with me,” Ian said, grabbing Mickey’s hand and making sure that Lip saw they were leaving so no one would worry. He led Mickey through the neighborhood to the dugouts.

“What are we doing here?”

Under the dugout, Ian had hidden blankets and some other necessities. He pulled Mickey into the shelter, hidden from any late night passers by.

“This is where we first became friends. Figured this is where we should celebrate.”

Before Mickey could say anything else, Ian pulled him close and covered his mouth with his own. He nipped at Mickey’s bottom lip and pushed his tongue into Mickey’s mouth, tasting everything that Mickey had to offer.

Mickey’s hands fisted in the front of Ian’s shirt and Ian gripped at the back of Mickey’s, pulling him as close as he could, grinding into him slowly.

Mickey broke away from their kiss, gasping for breath and Ian just trailed his mouth along Mickey’s jaw, down his neck, where he sucked on his pulse point. Mickey moaned. Ian broke away from Mickey just long enough to lay the blanket out on the ground. He then sat down, his legs stretched out in front of him and looked up at Mickey, smirking.

Mickey didn’t waste anytime in stripping off his own shirt and coming down to the ground to straddle Ian’s hips. Ian’s hands gripped Mickey’s hips and Mickey started grinding down into Ian. Ian sealed their lips together again, nipping and sucking and licking every inch of Mickey’s mouth, until Mickey pushed him away to slowly unbutton Ian’s shirt, making sure his knuckles dragged over Ian’s skin, before slowly pushing the shirt off Ian’s shoulders.

When the shirt was off, Mickey leaned forward traced the freckles scattered across Ian’s chest with his lips. He started off with light touches that turned into full open mouthed kisses before he was trailing his tongue further down Ian’s body, nipping at the muscles on his stomach, nosing at his hipbones as he worked on getting Ian’s belt and pants undone.

Ian rested on his forearms, leaning up and watching Mickey move down his body with hooded eyes. He fisted the blanket beneath them as Mickey dragged Ian’s belt off and pushed at Ian’s pants. Ian lifted his hips a little so that Mickey could push them off completely. Mickey kneeled between Ian’s legs, which were bent at the knee now, framing Mickey’s body. Mickey smoothed his hands down the long, firm muscles of Ian’s thighs, before pressing a kiss to Ian’s right knee. He leaned forward a little, trailing kisses up Ian’s leg, as he stretched out onto his stomach between Ian’s legs.

He kissed his way to Ian’s thigh, biting lightly at the firm muscle there, working his way up to Ian’s cock, which tented his boxers in front of Mickey’s face. Mickey trailed his nose over the hardening length, smirking at the way Ian twitched underneath him, before biting into Ian’s other thigh, hands stroking up Ian’s chest to stroke his nipples.

Ian huffed, falling onto his back as Mickey teased him torturously. Mickey continued to kiss and nip and suck at everything but Ian’s cock and Ian knew exactly what Mickey was doing. Ian felt like he was going to explode from just the light touches peppered all over his body, but he let Mickey do with him what he wanted, because it was Mickey’s night.

When he glanced back down at Mickey, Mickey’s eyes locked with his and he couldn’t control himself anymore. He lunged up, pulled Mickey up to his mouth, and slotted their lips back together, distracting Mickey enough for him to flip the other boy over, so that Ian rested on top of Mickey.

“Fucker,” Mickey muttered, voice turning into a moan as Ian licked at his nipples, undoing Mickey’s pants with one hand as the other stroked up and down Mickey’s side. Ian kissed his way down Mickey’s body, sucking bruises into the soft skin of his stomach, and lapping over them with his tongue. He pushed Mickey’s pants and boxers down in one motion, watching as Mickey’s cock bobbed and rested against his stomach, before he leaned down and licked a fat, wet stripe up the underside of it.

Mickey shot up, fisting his hands in Ian’s hair as Ian grabbed the base of Mickey’s dick, before swallowing him as far as he could.

Mickey watched as Ian’s head bobbed up and down and he swallowed Mickey down. His hands clenched in Ian’s hair at the overwhelming feeling, before he settled himself back against the ground, continuing to pull at Ian’s hair. When Ian’s hand reached down and startled rolling Mickey’s balls, Mickey pulled at Ian’s hair again.

“Fuck, stop,” Mickey panted, and Ian pulled away with one last lick, looking up at Mickey with overblown pupils. “Turn over.”

Ian gave Mickey a curious look, but Mickey knew he wasn’t going to question him. Ian turned over, bracing himself on his hands and knees, and Mickey got behind him. He pushed down on Ian’s shoulders a little, hands working over the muscles lightly, guiding Ian to rest on his forearms. Ian took the hint with no protest, and then Mickey was kneeling behind Ian’s ass. He brought both hands up and smoothed them over the pale flesh, leaning over to kiss at the freckles that lingered there, before he spread Ian apart and licked at his hole.  

“Fuck,” Ian grunted, head falling against his forearms as Mickey licked and sucked and kissed over Ian’s ass.

“Mmmm,” Mickey moaned, which sent a vibration through Ian’s whole body. Mickey licked hard, wet stripes over Ian’s ass, before slowly pushing his tongue in. Ian practically shot off the ground.

“Jesus fuck, Mick,” he moaned, voice coming out weak and wrecked.

Mickey pulled away from Ian’s ass.

“Wanna fuck you,” he murmured, kissing and biting at Ian’s cheeks.

“Fuck yes.”

“Where’s the stuff?” Mickey asked, and Ian handed him a tube of lube and a sleeve of condoms. When Mickey had what he needed, he went back to thrusting his tongue in and out of Ian’s asshole. He slicked up two fingers, tracing them around Ian’s hole, before he worked one in beside his tongue. Ian sounded like a dying man.

Mickey worked another finger in before pulling his tongue out, moving his mouth to kiss at Ian’s ass and lower back, while he poured more lube over his fingers and worked a third one into Ian. He thrusted hard and slow, making sure that Ian was fully prepped. When he found Ian’s prostate, Ian jumped, groaning and writhing under Mickey. Mickey pulled his fingers out and Ian whined.

“Roll over,” Mickey breathed, harshly, and Ian wasted no time in flipping onto his back. Mickey rolled a condom onto himself, brought Ian’s long legs around his back, lined himself up, and pushed in.

“Fuck,” they groaned together. Mickey paused in his movements, letting both Ian and himself adjust to the sensation, before he slowly pulled out and slammed back in.

Ian hands gripped Mickey’s back, pulling him harder on each thrust, while Ian rocked into him as best as he could. Mickey leaned over Ian’s body, burying his face into Ian’s neck as he continued to thrust into Ian as hard as he could. When he hit Ian’s prostate, Ian raked his hands down Mickey’s back.

“Fuck there,” Ian whimpered, as Mickey started sucking on his neck, angling his thrusts to hit Ian perfectly every time. “I’m close,” Ian moaned, as Mickey bit at Ian’s neck.

Mickey reached a hand between then and lazily started stroking Ian as he pounded into him with such precision that Ian was coming seconds later with a strangled, “Mickey.”

Mickey sat up on his knees, pulled Ian’s body closer, and pounded into him, once, twice more, before he shattered on top of Ian. He collapsed, their sweaty chests sticking together in the humid night air, as they both tried to regain their breathing.

Mickey rolled off and out of Ian, much to Ian’s discontent, and took off the condom, tying it and throwing it off to the side, before he settled back down against Ian’s chest, pulling a corner of the blanket up to cover their lower halves.

“Happy graduation,” Ian murmured against the crown of Mickey’s head. “I love you.”

Mickey pushed himself up on his elbow to look down at Ian. He placed a gentle kiss against his lips. “I love you too. We’re going to be okay.”

After that, he laid his head back against Ian’s chest and let the calm and the happiness of the day wash over him.

Ian smiled up at the ceiling of the dugout. He knew the next year would be challenging, but he knew that if anyone was going to make it, it was going to be him and Mickey.

* * *

 

Ian looked at himself in the mirror of the Gallaghers’ bathroom. He couldn’t believe a year had gone by so fast. The year without Mickey had been hard, harder than Ian had imagined really. He had visited Mickey’s dorm a few times, and Mickey had come back for the occasional Gallagher dinner, but it had been different. They had grown apart a little bit.

It’d been about a month since Ian had even seen Mickey. They talked on the phone and face timed and yeah, Skype sex was pretty awesome, but Ian could feel himself shaking with the excitement of seeing Mickey.

He purposefully wore the dark green button down that Mickey had bought him last Christmas, slicking his hair back, and trying to calm himself down. He was too busy looking at himself in the mirror, trying to make his hands stop shaking, that he didn’t realize someone was standing right behind him until that person coughed.

Ian turned around so fast he got a little dizzy, but he wasn’t sure if that was from the spinning or the fact that Mickey was leaning against the bathroom door, eyebrows raised, and in the flesh.

A slow, small smile worked its way onto Ian’s face as he took in Mickey. Mickey was actually here. He felt like it had been years since Mickey had been standing before him.

“Hey.”

“Hey, that’s all I get?” Mickey asked, feigning hurt, but smirking.

Ian lunged forward, trapping Mickey against the door frame, and kissing him as hard as he could. He bit and sucked on Mickey’s bottom lip, before he plunged his tongue inside Mickey’s mouth, tasting him again like it was the first time. When he pulled away, their hands rested firmly against each other’s hips.

“Missed you,” Mickey said lightly into the air between them.

“God, I love you,” Ian whispered back, pressing his mouth against Mickey’s again.

“Happy graduation,” Mickey said, as Ian pulled away. “I’m really fucking proud of you.”

And with that, Ian sealed their lips back together. He never wanted to let Mickey go again. They had made it through their year apart and Ian never planned on being separated from Mickey again for as long as he lived. Ian and Mickey were going to go the distance.

**Author's Note:**

> Go wish Peyton a happy birthday and follow me @[unbrokengibberish](http://unbrokengibberish.tumblr.com)


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